Ripples in Water
by Obicat
Summary: How touching. I hope those tears are for yourself, Kaoruchan.
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

_Shinta_. The Sakura blossoms drifted ever slower around them. Kaoru gently touched the faded scar on his cheek. He was finally free. A tear slowly tracked its way down the curve of her jaw.

'How touching. I hope those tears are for yourself, Kaoru-chan.'

Her jaw clenched. The blossoms stopped moving.

'I should have known you'd be slithering by the moment he was gone, Shishio. Already running, are you?'

She could feel his eyes at her back; Kaoru gently eased Kenshin's head from her lap to stand and face the hitokiri who had caused so much trouble all those years ago. He had returned to his original form. With his long hair pulled high into the familiar samurai tail, she could see the young, unmarred face of Battousai's successor; and he was _grinning_.

'Why should I run? I'm not the one he'll be coming for, after all.'

The hollow feeling Kenshin's passing left was twisting in on itself, from Shishio's smug grin and now from his words. 'What is that supposed to mean?'

Now Shishio openly laughed. 'He _knows_ about you, Kaoru-chan.'

Kaoru's face drained of all color.

'Were you hoping all those years spent waiting for him were going to be considered penance?' Shishio taunted, clearly enjoying her loss of composure. Glancing contemptuously at the red haired corpse, he leaned in close to her ear, whispering maliciously, 'The rurouni is dead, Kaoru; those years mean _nothing_ to the Battousai; _you_ mean nothing.'

Kaoru hissed and jerked away from him. Wrapping her arms around herself, she looked back to Kenshin's body on the ground. What had seemed serene moments before was now threatening. If the Battousai did know about her, what Shishio said was true. Kenshin's death would not bring peace as she'd hoped, but an existence dark and terrifying.

Shishio was baring his teeth; it may have been an attempt at a smile but gave the appearance of something far more predatory. 'So Kaoru, what will you do? Running would only make him angrier, and few have the power to stand up to him.'

Catching her breath, she quickly backed away several steps. 'No.'

'Come now, Kaoru-chan. Who else would take you in? His position won't be secure until the next new moon.'

'Get away from me!'

Shishio's face finally tightened in anger. 'Very well, but remember how you wasted this opportunity when Battousai finds you.' He turned and faded into the same nothingness from which he came.

The blossoms fell like stones to the ground.


	2. Chapter 2

Obvious: Rurouni Kenshin is not mine.

Chapter One

Kaoru stood quietly beside Shinta's grave. Only two days had passed since his burial, and already several weeds had pushed their stringy green leaves above the churned earth. Kneeling abruptly, Kaoru dug her fingers into the ground and yanked out the offending shoots, tossing them aside. Her knees hadn't made the familiar cracking noise with the downward movement, nor did they ache from being in a single position. If a mirror had been available, she wouldn't have seen so many lines around her eyes and mouth, she was sure. Battousai was almost at full strength.

She hated waiting.

'Changed your mind, Kaoru-chan?'

'You need to tell me exactly what Battousai knows about me.'

'Do I?'

Before, she'd been caught off guard. She'd allowed him to frighten her. Shinta's sudden death had put her out of sorts. Today, she was feeling more like herself. Kaoru looked down at her hand, smoother and younger, nails earth-blackened from Shinta's grave. Remembering the feel of the weak stalks in her grip, she curled her fingers into a fist, and then tightened it savagely. Shishio made a strangled sound.

She stood slowly, enjoying the renewing suppleness of her muscles. Leisurely brushing the specks of dirt from her kimono with her unclenched hand, she waited several seconds before turning to face Shishio. He was turning blue.

'Yes. You do.'

He nodded. She loosened her fist. Slightly. Shishio drew a wheezing gasp.

'He knows you trapped him in that mortal's body.'

That's what she'd suspected. It had been a horrible thing to do. The little boy named Shinta--trapped with the immortal Battousai. What horrors he must have felt before he bowed under the weight of Kenshin's soul? Kaoru released her hand. Shishio's windpipe filled with air.

'How did he find out? Did you tell him?'

'Hardly. He would have killed me.'

'He _did_ kill you.'

'Technically, I killed myself. Not quite the same. But I kept your little secret.' Shishio regained some of his bravado now that oxygen was returning to his brain. His eyes narrowed mockingly. 'Of course, I _could_ tell him who actually revived me, after the government assassination, but I imagine he'll soon figure it out. As if any mortal body could have survived a firing squad or burning, let alone both.'

Kaoru paced. He was right. Her actions had been a stone cast into still water. How do you erase ripples in water? An idea sprouted in her mind. She halted and pivoted to glare at Shishio.

'The new moon is tomorrow night.'

The grin slowly slipped from his face, replaced by intense interest. 'And?'

'Time to cast another stone.'


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: I'm attempting to address the confusion without overloading you with boring exposition. Thank you for all your feedback! I find short chapters annoying myself and am trying to correct this fault. Please bear with me as I try to adapt._

Chapter Two (A)

Aoshi wasn't sure why his bathhouse was so much larger today, but he wasn't complaining. Sinking down into the steaming water, he let the heat loosen some of the tension in his shoulders. He only had an hour until he was summoned again, and he finally had new information. Battousai would be pleased.

The shoji door slid open, startling him. Misao slipped in, wearing nothing but her thin yukata. She seemed surprised at first to find him there, before breaking into a delighted grin. The corners of his mouth turned downward fractionally. He didn't feel like playing her games at the moment.

'Whatever you were planning, you can just turn around right now.'

Her grin broadened. 'Planning, Aoshi-sama? I was just going to take a bath!'

She watched his eyes flare ever so slightly in alarm as she loosened her braid until her hair streamed down her back in black waves. Then, before he could guess at her intentions, slipped the robe from her shoulders. Aoshi slammed his eyelids shut, but not before the image of her lithe, naked form was burned into his mind. 'I believe you have your own bath, Misao. Go there.'

She delighted in the strained timber of his voice. 'Ah. Now we have reached the crux of the matter. This _is_ my bath.'

'What?' He was a bit distracted. Although his eyes were still shut, he could hear the gentle splash of her climbing into the tub and his imagination was working overtime. Any progress the hot water had made relieving his tension was instantly wasted.

'It seems our living quarters have merged together. We're sharing now.'

'The hell we are!' Aoshi's eyes opened angrily, the first real emotion he'd shown so far. Misao felt like laughing at the way his eyes stayed trained on her face, but she managed to limit her reaction to a twinkling in her eyes as she simply pointed to the door where she'd entered. He was able to see her rooms clearly through a door where there had only been wall before.

'This is absurd. He has no right to dictate inside my living quarters!'

'I doubt it was done consciously, Aoshi. Since the new moon, his power has been spilling over. It took me an hour to find the kitchens yesterday. For some reason, they ended up near Sano's rooms.'

Aoshi stared at her, trying to process her words. She'd turned her back on him to pin her hair up out of the water. He could see damp tendrils clinging to her nape invitingly. 'Are you saying the castle will continue to shift until she's brought back?'

'I'm saying, the castle is the least of our worries if she's not found.' Misao leaned far enough over the edge Aoshi could see the dimples on either side of her spine above the curve of her backside. He repressed a groan. Keeping her back to him, she calmly began soaping the cloth she'd snagged. 'The freedom to jump in and out of the mortal world, our immortality, enhanced senses, superior battle skill—they are all tied to Battousai's power, which in turn is tied to—'

'Misao.'

'Don't be silly. I'm not that powerful.'

Aoshi gritted his teeth. He had cut her off because she was dragging the soapy cloth across her skin like the caress of a lover. Watching her trail the washrag down her outstretched arm and back was straining his control; he was pretty certain she knew it too when she turned her face toward Aoshi, looking at him from beneath her lashes and held up the washcloth. 'Wash my back?'

Chapter Two (B)

Aoshi didn't know whether to be irritated or relieved that, in addition to merging his and Misao's rooms, his suite was now only one hall away from Kenshin's chambers. When he emerged, flustered, still damp, and late for his summons, he found he only had a short walk to the Battousai's receiving room. Soujirou had been listening for him apparently, because the door slid smoothly open to admit his entrance. Aoshi halted regardless, out of shock.

Kenshin's chamber was a large open hall with columns flanking the vaulted ceiling in the center. To the left and right past the columns, the ceilings dropped to a more comfortable level. In pleasant weather, the paper screens that closed in the hall could be opened to the gardens beyond, turning the whole room into a giant pavilion.

Battousai sat stoically on the floor in the center of the dais facing the hall. His form was remarkably similar to the one he'd been trapped in for so many years, except his face seemed harder, and his eyes more often flashed gold. Everything was familiar, however, normally, beyond the raised dais upon which Battousai surveyed his court, another series of screens separated the audience chamber from Kenshin's personal rooms. Those screens were gone.

Behind him was a vast blackness, darker than a storm cloud, without even the meager light of a night sky. There was simply nothing there. Aoshi recovered from his brief hesitation and approached the stage to kneel before his lord. He found it hard to focus on Kenshin with the emptiness churning just behind the redhead. Why would Himura's private rooms disappear?

'Aoshi.'

The narrow, amber-eyed gaze of Battousai captured Aoshi's attention.

'Have you found her yet?'

Aoshi shook his head. 'There has been no trace of her power since the surge during the new moon. I don't know how she could possibly have disguised it, but without it, I have no way of tracking her.'

'And what of Shishio?'

'Gone also, but I have learned he might have been in contact with her sometime between your mortal death and ascension. We've found he can be tracked and have discovered his location.'

Kenshin smiled predatorily.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Three

The man, who went by Sanosuke Sagara in life, loved being a g_aijin_. His new existence appealed to him on every level: the immortality, the strength, the never-ending good looks, and especially, the food. If someone had told him during his mortal life that there was a place where the food never ran out and the sake flowed non-stop, he would have laughed that person off as a nut, or perhaps knocked his lights out for implanting such a distracting fantasy in Sano's head. Sano never would have considered such a place to be real, or immortality possible, until Kenshin Himura gave both to him. In hindsight, challenging Battousai to a fight to the death had been the smartest thing Sano had ever done.

The words Kenshin murmured cheerfully in his ear after Sano collapsed, having received the final beating from the rurouni as Zanza, hadn't really registered until much later, and even then, Sano thought he'd misheard or imagined them, considering his brains had been scrambled at the time. 'Take this gift; and next time, I won't go so easy on you.' The comment hadn't made much sense, with Sano believing the gift was having the living hell kicked out of him. How would he even survive a next time? And how sick was Kenshin for sounding pleased about it? Later, he'd realized he was getting stronger, but never connected to that first fight with Kenshin; especially after the beating Saitoh dished out seemed to nearly kill him.

He could only grind his teeth now that he realized Saitoh was _gaijin_ too, and had purposefully let loose because the bastard knew Sano was immortal, and therefore would survive. Only Kenshin and one other being had the power to kill a _gaijin_. Or that was what he'd been told by Misao when he'd awoken abruptly one day in the _gaijin_ castle. It had taken a bit of convincing on her part to assure him he wasn't dead. After that, she'd begun her explanation, which proved to be lengthy, and complicated without being very enlightening, on what he'd become.

Sano's abrupt departure from his mortal life was due to Kenshin's officially inheriting the title of Battousai, an event the _gaijin_ had been waiting for, but had been delayed for some reason. Every gaijin had been pulled out of the mortal world, except two, and those two were causing a bit of a problem. Shishio was one of them, (Sano wasn't surprised in the least to hear that asshole was immortal, or that he was making trouble.) but Misao wouldn't say who the other was. He hadn't really pushed for the information at the time, using his limited opportunity to get a word in edgewise around Misao's non-stop talking to ask if there was anything to eat or was he going to spend the rest of his immortal life with a rumbling stomach?

Since then, Sano could usually be found lounging somewhere about the kitchen, which was practically as big as the Kamiya dojo, a jar of sake close to hand. He found it mighty convenient therefore, when the kitchen spontaneously moved across the hall from his rooms. Less convenient was how Misao tracked him down later that day in a particularly bad mood. He briefly noted how surprisingly older she looked with her damp hair gathered in a loose bun rather than that whip-like braid, and wearing a kimono similar to what Jo-chan used to wear. The thought of Kaoru sent a fleeting pang through him. Sano missed his Jo-chan and the brat, Yahiko. Why hadn't Kenshin made them immortal also? Especially Kaoru, since he'd been so obviously in love with her.

'Sano. Battousai is requesting our presence in the receiving hall.'

Sano may not have been a _gaijin_ for very long, but he knew that any _request_ from Battousai was, in fact, an order. The days of putting Kenshin in a headlock were over. He let the sake jar rest on the floor as he got to his feet.

'What's up?'

'Shishio has been found. We're all going after him.'

'All of us? Is that necessary?' Not that he wasn't ready for a fight--but the kitchens were _just across the hall_!

Misao led him away towards Kenshin's rooms. Belatedly, he noticed she wore her ninja shoes under her kimono, rather than the plain straw sandals. The trip was short. The castle had shifted again. 'Yes and no.'

Sano waited for a few moments before realizing she wasn't going to elaborate. He'd rarely known Misao to be so reticent. It made him nervous. Reaching Kenshin's door, Misao took a deep breath before sliding it open. Sano had only been in this room once; Kenshin hadn't been in it at the time…but neither had that huge, black, swirling mass of nothingness.

'What the _fuck_ is that?'

'That,' Aoshi, spoke from behind them, pausing for a moment as he took in Misao's appearance. 'is the reason we need to find Shishio.' Misao seemed oblivious to the attention, but she refused to look at Aoshi directly. Sano briefly wondered what was going on between those two before getting back to the point.

'Shishio did this?'

Kenshin motioned them forward, which had Sano twitching. First, Kenshin's eyes were practically glowing, and although Sano knew this wasn't exactly the same man he'd known in life, it still chilled him. Second, and perhaps more important, he did _not_ want to be in the same room as that…void. They stood in a small circle—close to the door, much to Sano's relief.

'No.' Aoshi replied, bringing Sano's attention back to his original question. When Sano looked expectantly for more information, Aoshi dropped his gaze to Kenshin. Sano gritted his teeth. He was getting the impression there was a big something they weren't telling him, and it was beginning to piss him off. 'Can someone please explain what is going on here?'

Kenshin's head dropped so that his eyes were hidden behind his bangs and he spoke in a low voice. 'Sano, there is something you should know.'


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Well, we're officially off the appetizers and on to the first course.

Chapter Four

_Kaoru collapsed on the forest floor when her legs gave out, all strength sapped from her body from the violent sobs wracking her body. She hardly moved to break the fall, merely turning slightly so that her shoulder hit the detritus covered ground instead of her face. The wind was pushed from her lungs, briefly silencing her ragged gasps. There she stayed for several minutes, the cool dirt soothing her overheated cheek, allowing her to gain a modicum of control. Curling in on herself, she stilled her quaking limbs and pressed her fists to her mouth, smothering her ragged gasps. Soon all movement stopped. Kaoru's eyes were too swollen from tears to close, so she stared unseeing at a root pushing up from the dirt near her face._

_She hated him. _

_In two days, when the new moon rose, she would be subject to him forever and it terrified her. The thought forced her exhausted body into action. She pushed up off the ground and sluggishly rose to her feet, looking around and trying to orient herself to the surrounding area. After the…argument, she'd fled haphazardly to the mortal world, neither paying attention nor caring where she ended up, as long as it was away from him. Brushing a leaf from her ear, Kaoru finally noticed a faint sound coming from nearby. A rhythmic scraping, like that of digging was echoing through the trees. Ready to think about anything other than her own situation, she followed the noise to its source. _

_The forest ended abruptly upon a field filled with bodies. It looked like bandits had set upon a caravan. In the center of the carnage, a young boy was using a flat stone to scrape the thin dirt into a shallow grave. At first, she thought the setting sun gave his long, ragged mane the color of blood but as he heard her approach and turned, she realized he was not Japanese and it was his natural coloring. The child was nearing collapse. Kaoru approached him with a hint of trepidation. That hair reminded her too much of…_

_'Are you with the other?' The boy's words shook her out of the thought. _

_'Other?' _

_He turned back to his grave digging. 'It doesn't matter.' His breathing was shallow and he stumbled with the movement, falling to the side. Kaoru had no tears left, but her heart twisted in sympathy. She ran over to the boy and took his head in her lap. His eyes were closed, his lips pale and she gently brushed his bangs from his face. _

_'What's your name?'_

_'Shinta.' _

Rain was drumming on the roof as Kaoru woke from the dream. Although she was conscious, the only movement came from the slitting glance of her eyes taking in the room through her bangs. The storm gave the room a shadowed, gray cast through the paper screens. Her futon lay untouched, still folded against the wall. Kaoru had long ago accustomed herself to sleeping upright against the wall; slowly flexing the stiffness from her muscles, she finally stood, catching the sword resting against her shoulder with a hand and returning it to the sash at her waist. The past had been haunting her more aggressively since she'd decided to rewrite it. Dismissing the dream for the moment she straightened her clothing, a black kimono, dark gray hakama and navy gi. The only luxury she allowed was loosening her hair at night, which she corrected now by reworking the hair into a samurai's tail at her crown, minus the blue ribbon. There was no need for prettiness in this life.

Slipping out of the rented room, Kaoru considered the risk she was taking today. Although Kaoru knew she'd been effective so far disguising herself from Aoshi or anyone else with the skill to track her, it was only a matter of time. Shishio would only delay him. Unknown to Shishio was that he was her decoy, set up to hinder Battousai in his search, but he was less than a pawn in this game because Kaoru knew he would eventually betray her. He would break under the full power of Battousai and tell Kenshin what he knew, precious little thankfully, but enough to point him in the right direction.

Kaoru wasn't making eluding capture any easier on herself, being in Tokyo. Today was close to the same time she'd met Kenshin, and naturally, after talking with Shishio, this was where he would look, in the most obvious place first. Kaoru knew he'd find her eventually. The final confrontation was inevitable, and in fact, she was counting on that confrontation to accomplish her goals; but she had to delay it long enough to put certain events into order for her peace of mind. Specifically, the event was the day she'd met Yahiko.

There were many times Kaoru had wanted to grant immortality on individuals over the decades, but all her power had been wrapped up in making sure Kenshin stayed put in his prison, quite a challenge since every _gaijin_ had taken to showing up to either try and defeat Battousai while he was supposedly vulnerable or trying to remind him through combat who he'd been before. Even if she could grant the gift now, Yahiko was too young; she doubted he would appreciate being 10 forever. But that didn't mean she would let the Yakuza have him. She hadn't allowed it then, neither would she allow it in this life. Yahiko was hers, and she would make sure he was well cared for, regardless of personal risk.

Yahiko was still making a fuss over her presence. He kept denying he knew her, but considering the amount of information she knew, the denials fell flat. Kaoru could only imagine Yahiko's confusion, after all, he was telling his gang the truth; he'd never set eyes on her before she'd casually strolled into the Shuei Syndicate's headquarters and demanded his release. Through the years, Kaoru had weighed several options for saving Yahiko. One included sticking as close as possible to the original scenario, but Kaoru refused to walk the streets while she jangled her coins as bait, waiting for Yahiko to pick her pocket. Another was simply to slaughter everyone, but she suspected that would do little to win Yahiko over to accept her as his caretaker. In the end, she compromised.

'I don't want to be indebted to you!' Yahiko spluttered.

'Kids should be quiet.' She murmured. She had already settled herself to throw the dice, ignoring the yakuza members' lewd stares.

'If you lose—'

'I won't lose.'

Of course, Yahiko still switched the dice and was caught, leaving Kaoru once again facing off against Gasuke the 'manslayer'. Unlike the first time however, Kaoru was neither obligated to follow the Kasshin Ryu, nor did she carry a wooden sword. Kaoru had lived through the revolution. Her blade had caused the sky to bleed red. This fool was no match for her. She might have rolled her eyes at his ridiculous posturing, if she hadn't have been so concerned with Kenshin catching up to her. Instead, she merely repeated what Kenshin had done originally—sending Gasuke's head through the ceiling before addressing the boss.

'It would be better to give me the boy than suffer the embarrassment of having all your members defeated, by a woman no less.'

Five minutes later, she carried Yahiko out by his collar over her shoulder, and for whatever reason, he wasn't as adverse this time around to learning swordsmanship from her.

_Trapping Kenshin in Shinta's body had been an unplanned event. The child had been near death. She'd been upset. It wasn't an excuse, only a reason. She'd only wanted to delay Battousai's control over her. Unfortunately, Hiko had been nearby and felt the tremendous use of power it had taken to pull Kenshin in and lock him within a conscious being. Inhabiting a mortal body was not unusual. Beginning the habitation after birth was. _Gaijin_ either expended copious amounts of their individual power to exist on the mortal plane in their immortal form (For example, Hiko never lowered himself to be born. He always appeared in his immortal form, if only to prove how powerful he was.), or were born into mortal bodies; the latter being the preferred method, because, after all, when one is immortal, a couple decades spent in childhood mean nothing. _

_Kaoru had almost been caught in that field of death, but she'd managed to flee back to the _gaijin_ reality before the sword-master showed up. Being who he was, Hiko had immediately recognized Kenshin within the human boy. The nature of Kaoru's spell had practically destroyed Kenshin's memory of his immortal life however, so all Hiko could do was take the boy in and try to remind him, through the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu, who he was. Unfortunately, to a certain extent, Kenshin did remember. He remembered enough that he became the most feared assassin during the revolution. The stone Kaoru had cast was responsible for not only destroying Shinta with her actions, but all those who the Battousai killed also, sending ripples throughout the mortal world. He killed so many people in fact, that Kaoru began to fear he would escape the bonds of his human body and she made the decision to enter the mortal world, just to keep tabs on him. _

_Then he disappeared. No one knew why he had abandoned his role in the revolution, and as the time he remained missing grew, so did her anxiety. So she made her second mistake._

_The charred remains of Shishio's body were hardly recognizable in daylight. Kaoru approached the prone corpse, slowing as the nauseating smell struck her. Despite the stench, she pushed forward. It had been difficult to come here and she wouldn't give up now just because the smell of burnt human flesh was unfamiliar to her. The man who was her father in this life rarely let her out of his site since his wife died, and although Kaoru felt a measure of sadness for the woman who had acted as her mother, his constant attention and demands to practice the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu reminded her a bit too much of someone else. Such reminders only enforced her reason for being here and she might not get another chance such as this._

_Despite being shot in the head and burnt alive, Shishio was still breathing; the strength his immortality lent him sustained life, but he wouldn't last much longer. His neck no longer obeyed his demands to turn his head, the spine having fused together in the heat of the fire, but his eyes were still mobile in their sockets, and they fixed on her. It took him a few moments to recognize her, as she was only in the seventh year of her mortal life, but she knew the instant he did, because he forced the blackened skin around his mouth, not lips—those had been burnt off—to smile, a horrible, gruesome expression and he hissed the words, 'Kaoru-chan.' _

_His eyes remained unwavering, the only means of communication he still possessed. He may not have been able to speak effectively, but his eyes told her everything. Rage filled him. Not only from the betrayal of the government he helped establish, but also from having the chance to challenge Battousai stolen from him by mere mortals. Kaoru knew that he would give anything for a second chance, and perhaps if she sold her soul to grant his wish, he could grant hers._

'Kaoru? Are you okay?'

Kaoru blinked, banishing the memories once more. 'Gomen, Yahiko. I was just thinking.'

'You shouldn't think so hard, you get really ugly when you do.'

'Why you little--!' She took a half-hearted swipe at his head with her fist.

Yahiko slipped just out of her reach laughing and Kaoru dropped her eyes to hide the smile there. They were still in Tokyo, much to the detriment of Kaoru's nerves. Despite knowing it was best to find somewhere permanent and stable for Yahiko to live, she was having difficulty motivating herself to look for an appropriate home. Perhaps she had simply been alone too long.

'Oi! Kaoru, are we going to eat today or what? I'm starving!'

She managed to not roll her eyes. Some things couldn't be rewritten she supposed. Tossing him her coin purse she nodded in the direction of town. 'Why don't you go pick us up something to eat, brat? Not tofu!' Kaoru had to yell since he'd broken into a sprint the moment her money was in his hand. A brief wave was the only response she got from that distance.

Given his appetite, maybe she should try the Akabeko, but she doubted he'd be interested without the draw of Tsubame. According to Yahiko's description of the restaurant, the little girl had yet to join the staff. Information had been a problem after the revolution. Kaoru hesitated to show her face in populated areas, in case anyone came asking after her. One of the benefits of having Yahiko around was his ability to go to town without suspicion. That and he hadn't batted an eye at her past. The past she'd created; the one where she was the most feared hitokiri during the revolution. She found it slightly ironic that in this life, she bore the title of the man she'd feared for so long.

With the final surge of power before the new moon, when the _gaijin_ Kenshin had formally been dubbed Battousai, Kaoru had thrown herself back to the period just before the revolution, trapping her own energy in a vessel that could not be traced. In order to stay hidden, Kaoru had taken Kenshin's role in the imperialistic movement. As long as events stayed the same, it would be hard to locate her presence. So she had counted on killing whom he killed, sleeping where he'd slept, and dressing how he'd dressed.

What Kaoru hadn't counted on was coming face to face with Saitoh ten years ago in a Kyoto back alley. He shouldn't have been there. In the original timeline, Saitoh had doubted Kenshin's strength—defeating mortals was no great feat according to the Mibu wolf—so he had shown up during the revolution to see how Kenshin faired against another _gaijin_. The stalemate had apparently satisfied Saitoh, because he hadn't made another appearance until Shishio resurfaced. Ever since Kaoru had created this reality, she's avoided attracting the attention of any of the _gaijin;_ even those searching for her. None had any reason to be in this reality, let alone relive their experiences here.

She had been about to kill him without knowing who he was. Her knees bent slightly and her body turned to the side as she prepared to unsheathe her katana. Saitoh's sword was drawn when he recognized her; his eyes flashed at her hitokiri raiment in the night, gold and eerily similar to Kenshin's, but he didn't sheathe his blade.

'So…this is where the tanuki is hiding. No wonder he hasn't found you yet. This is more clever than I would have given you credit for.'

His words startled her out of attacking him, but not out of her stance. She finally realized who he was. So this was the Saitoh Kenshin had known; Kaoru had to admit, he was quite striking in his Shinsengumi attire and long hair. The Fujita Goro guise was the only form she'd ever seen him in as a _gaijin_.

'What are you doing here, Saitoh?'

'That is none of your business.'

Kaoru narrowed her gaze at his abrupt reply. Always aware of his ability to nettle her, he continued. 'I can only imagine his reaction when he finds out what you've been doing.'

'Are you going to tell him?'

'He hasn't asked me.'

'Maybe I won't give him the opportunity to.'

'Do you think you're strong enough little girl?'

He took up the Gatotsu stance. 'Come then.'

Kaoru sprung at him, the humming of the air over her blade the only warning her weapon had even been drawn. He blocked her strike. Barely. She skidded to a halt several feet behind him. He touched a finger to the thin trail of blood she'd left on his cheek.

'So the tanuki does have claws.' Then Saitoh shocked her by sheathing his sword. 'You might avoid killing Tomoe's fiancée. I'm sure that's a drama you'd rather avoid in this life. As for us…I'll leave you to the Battousai. He's the one who really wants you after all. It would be unfair of me to deny him the pleasure.'

Kaoru had let him walk away. Killing Saitoh there had meant killing him for good. That would have attracted unwanted attention from her fellow _gaijin_. She'd followed his advice though...and avoided any distinctive facial marks. Soon after, she left the revolution, and faded into anonymity.

Her confrontation with Saitoh had marked an end to keeping the timelines similar. Combined with the fact that it was the same year Shishio was supposed to have been assassinated and wasn't, the two events must have sent up huge warning flags for Aoshi to see. She grew more paranoid with each passing year since, showing herself in town less and less, never staying two nights in one place, giving pseudonyms wherever a name was asked—all to misdirect the Battousai.

Maybe the few days here in Tokyo had put her more on edge than she gave credit for. It might explain the way her thoughts dwelt on her past life, and on the shortening span of this one. She'd wanted to wait for Megumi, but upon consideration, without Aoshi and his Oniwaban group, the fox would have little trouble escaping Kanryu.

That decided her. As soon as Yahiko returned, they would leave Tokyo.

_A/N: Well, I hope that wasn't too horribly confusing. The italics are all flashbacks to the timeline in which the events in the anime occurred. The scene with Saitoh occurred in the new timeline Kaoru has created. If this all seems a bunch of nonsense, let me know and I will try to fix it for the next chapter. Your reviews have been amazingly generous and encouraging! Thank you everyone so much!_


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Five

Shishio was going to make that bitch _wish_ she could die.

Ten years he'd waited. Ten years since he'd found out how she had betrayed him, depriving him of what he wanted most.

But she would pay.

Standing by Shinta's grave ten years ago, Shishio had listened to her, believing the lies she told him and he'd agreed to go along with her little plan.

They would adhere to the original timeline--to a point. She would fill Battousai's role. Shishio would step in, just as he had before, but that was when they would change things. From then on, _he_ would control the revolution, just as he should have before, and when Himura appeared (How could he not? Battousai would be compelled to deal with a gaijin so fragrantly defying the rules, just as he had before.)--Shishio would defeat him; then, Shishio would control the Meiji era in the mortal world, and wear the _gaijin_ title of Battousai. He would be the ultimate power.

However, when Shishio had slaughtered the men planning his assassination, Aoshi had shown up in Kyoto unexpectedly, searching for him, forcing Shishio to hide outside the city to avoid capture.

Without actually having lived in this timeline, Aoshi had few connections with the Oniwaban group, being forced instead to do his tracking through his _gaijin_ powers alone. While those powers were nothing to scoff at, Aoshi was definitely taking longer than he would have previously. The former ninja had obviously been growing frustrated, leading Shishio to prematurely crow over his escape. Then that stupid farmer had stumbled over Shishio hiding in his barn. Again, within a day of killing, a man bearing Aoshi's description had been seen in the local town asking questions. Shishio had to abandon Kyoto altogether.

That's when Shishio realized what Kaoru had done. Somehow, in rewriting the timeline, she had put a bind on him without his knowledge. When he killed, he could be tracked. Unless he wanted to be caught by Battousai, he couldn't kill. If he couldn't kill, he couldn't amass the power he needed to defeat Kenshin. If he couldn't defeat Kenshin—then all this was for nothing.

The rage he felt was almost overwhelming. It burned in his skin hotter and more all consuming than when he'd been burned literally. Only one thought allowed him a measure of peace. Little Kaoru hadn't covered all her bases. He knew her weak spot, and there was still a chance he could take from her what he couldn't take from the masses of mortals. So he waited, hiding in the shadows, until she arrived in Tokyo.

o

o

o

'Hey! Tae! How's it going?'

Tae smiled at Sano but it didn't quite reach her eyes. She was clearly wracking her brain for a reason this complete stranger had greeted her like an old friend. Had she met him before and didn't remember? Misao elbowed him in the ribs. 'Moron! She doesn't know who you are! Stop drawing attention to yourself!' She whispered furiously. Ignoring her, Sano strode up to Tae and bestowed a winning smile on her. 'My name is Sano and I had the pleasure of eating at your sister's fine establishment in Kyoto! She said you had the best beef-pot in Tokyo!' Tae's face cleared instantly. 'Why yes we do! Two is it? Right this way!' Sano smirked over his shoulder at a glowering Misao as he strolled after the restaurateur. Tae got them settled at a table and quickly ran off for the order of sake Sano requested.

'Let's see how friendly she stays when she finds out how you never pay your bill.'

'She never cut me off before, and besides, this is your treat, right?'

Tae returned before Misao could respond and Sano noted with glee the steam that practically poured from her ears.

'Here you are! Your meal will be out any minute; is there anything else I can get for you?'

'Actually, we were hoping you might have seen a friend of ours. We heard she might be in this area and she simply loves beef-pot, so she might have been in here. She's about so high, pretty with black hair and blue eyes—goes by Kaoru? She might have been wearing a sword.'

Tae's eyes widened. 'Sorry. Since the ban, I haven't seen anyone wearing a sword. I can keep an eye out for her though if you like.' Sano presented her with his charming face. 'I'd appreciate it, darlin, thanks!' Tae blushed slightly and bowed before hurrying off to see another customer.

'I doubt Kaoru would just stroll into the Akabeko, of all places, for a bite to eat. She knows we're looking for her.' Misao said in annoyance.

'It doesn't hurt to ask. What's your problem today? You've been cranky all morning.'

'My problem? _My problem?_' She hissed. 'My problem is that we're trapped in the mortal world because a big, black nothing has consumed ours! My problem is that we don't know what Kaoru hopes to accomplish with this insane spell or what to do, even if we do find her! My problem is that Kenshin is slowly being destroyed trying to maintain all the excess power by himself. My problem is that Aoshi is too exhausted from jumping all over this crazy timeline to face Shishio if he turns up again!' Misao was breathing heavily, face flushed. Sano had frozen in astonishment, sake cup halfway to his lips. He slowly set the cup back on the table and leaned in with a serious look on his face.

'So. What exactly is going on between you and Aoshi, anyway?'

Misao was about to break the table with Sano's face when they heard Tae's distinctive voice break though a lull in the din of the restaurant.

'Why Yahiko-chan, back again?'

Sano and Misao froze. Misao was sitting on the side facing the door. Sano nodded at her. Holding her breath, she eased her body over until she could see around the booth wall to the entrance. There, standing in plain view, was Yahiko Myoujin. Misao settled back into place, aware Sano had been watching her expression with intensity. Her eyes met his. She let the air out of her lungs evenly and said, 'It's really him.'

After Shishio had escaped the second time, Kenshin had decided they would conserve energy by picking a time and place Kaoru was likely to show up and wait. The _gaijin_ world had grown too unstable by that time anyway, so they had settled down in Tokyo around the date when Kenshin had first started living with Kaoru. They had guessed correctly apparently, because when Kenshin had gone over to see if Yahiko was in the same predicament in this timeline, he discovered through various injured Yakuza members that some insane hitokiri woman had shown up two days ago and kidnapped the boy. After a frenzy of searching, it appeared Kaoru had taken Yahiko and slipped through their fingers again. Except, here was Yahiko, right in front of them placing a to-go order with Tae, that was much too big for one boy; even one with Yahiko's appetite.

'What should we do?' Sano whispered.

'I'll follow Yahiko. You go get Kenshin.'

Sano nodded and stood casually, walked the opposite direction from the entrance and slipped out the back of the building. Misao was so focused on Yahiko, that it took her a moment to realize Sano hadn't left any money for his sake.

He'd stiffed her for the bill after all.

o

o

o

Someone was following him.

It had been hard to tell in town, with so many people shopping and going about their business, but now that he was outside the bustle, there was a twitching between his shoulder blades. He had gotten the same feeling when the police were doing undercover work while he'd been with the Yakuza, trying unsuccessfully to catch him in the act of pick-pocketing. The fact that Yahiko had only just sensed this person meant that they were quite skilled. This was no bumbling cop.

Yahiko had only known Kaoru for a little while, but he knew she was uneasy being in the same place for more than a day. From the way she avoided people and going into town, he could only guess she was hiding from someone or something. Yahiko held no illusions that the person trailing behind was after him; he or she was after Kaoru. So he slowed his pace and turned down a different road than which he came, wondering if he could lose this person long enough to get back to Kaoru and warn her. He was so intent on the person following, he didn't notice the person in front of him until the man snatched him right off his feet by the front of him kimono. The bundle of food splattered to the ground.

'Hey! What's the big idea? Let me go!' Yahiko's hands went to the man's wrist, attempting to pry free, but the stranger's grip was iron. The only reply to the demand was a violent cuff to the ear that left Yahiko dazed. A trickle of blood ran down his cheek.

'Shishio! Let him go! Now!'

Yahiko blinked in surprise at the new voice. Trying to force his vision into focus, he looked over his shoulder at the newcomer. A young woman was standing there, wearing what appeared to be ninja garb, long black braid swinging behind her. She was looking at the man holding Yahiko with a mixture of anger and hatred. He belatedly noticed she held several kunai laced between her fingers. Was she the one who had been following him?

'Misao! How delightful to see you. I'm so glad you're here. You can deliver Kaoru-chan a message for me. If she wants her little boy back in one piece, she'll meet me at sunset. She knows where.' Yahiko flinched at the tone in the man called Shishio's voice. His eyes were hard, cold and slightly mad it seemed to Yahiko. He, like Kaoru, wore a sword at his waist.

'I don't know where she is, you bastard!'

'Your ineptness is astounding. She's down by the river, right now, waiting for her precious charge to return.'

In disbelief, Misao looked for a second in the direction of the river. Could it be true? Had Kaoru been that close to them all this time? When she turned back, Shishio was gone. All that remained was the discarded food in the road. She screamed in frustration. What should she do? Run back to Kenshin? Would he know where Shishio had taken Yahiko? Would he even go after Shishio? Or would he head straight for Kaoru? Even with the gaijin world at risk, Misao couldn't get the image of the blood on Yahiko's face out of her mind. There wasn't much time until sunset. Cursing, Misao ran for the river.

o

o

o

_Kaoru lay limp against the drill house wall in her dojo. She was still exhausted from Saitoh's attempt to force Battousai out of Kenshin. Kaoru had used every last shred of her power keeping the immortal bound. It almost hadn't been enough. If Okubo hadn't shown up and brought the men to their senses, Kaoru wasn't sure what would have happened. She'd been so relieved at first, that Battousai hadn't escaped—then they'd been told what Shishio was doing. It had been so long since she'd revived Shishio, Kaoru had assumed he had never recovered enough, even with her power, to find the Battousai, let alone do anything about him. She'd practically put him from her mind. _

_And then Kenshin had unexpectedly shown up in Tokyo, confessing that he'd made a vow to never kill again. Of all the things she would have imagined him doing with those missing years, not killing hadn't even been on the list. Was that why no one had been able to find him, because he hadn't been killing? The rurouni personality was so unexpected, Kaoru didn't know how to react. Although she'd thought he'd regained his _gaijin_ memory during the revolution, he didn't seem to recall her, or their past relationship—so Kaoru had reluctantly let him into her home and life, determined to find out what was going on with her spell. _

_She was amazed, and reluctantly charmed at the way he cared for Dr. Genzai's granddaughters. Then he had saved Yahiko and brought him in to live at her dojo. He'd allowed Sano to fight him for the sole purpose of banishing the demons riding the man called Zanza. Kaoru never would have attributed this personality to the Battousai. Was this the result of her spell? Had Shinta somehow been superimposed over Kenshin, creating this unassuming and gentle rurouni? If so, was it possible he would keep aspects of this personality when he returned to the _gaijin_ world? For the first time in years, Kaoru relaxed slightly._

_Jineh broke that calm. When the murderer took her, and fought Kenshin, she realized how close to the surface Battousai really was. In the brief moment Kenshin had looked at her with that narrow, golden gaze she'd seen such fire there that it had paralyzed her more effectively than Jineh's meager power ever could. It may have only been for a second, but he'd recognized her and in terror, she had responded with such an outpouring of her power that she'd not only broke Jineh's hold on her, but also suppressed the_ gaijin_ so forcefully that his eyes instantly returned to violet. She'd nearly passed out. Nothing had been so welcome as the familiar rurouni dialect, asking if she was okay, and thanking her for repressing the Battousai. _

_Remembering now, Kaoru felt the tears well up once more. When Kenshin had pulled her against him to say goodbye, she'd been shocked. He'd never shown interest in her that way as the rurouni; the lack of attention had been one of the reasons she'd allowed him to stay with her in this life. At that point, it wasn't his abrupt and obvious display of affection that unnerved her, but her response to that nearness. Kaoru had always been inexplicably drawn to Kenshin, and she'd been fighting it ever since he'd arrived in Tokyo. As Battousai, the attraction was almost a compulsion, something uncontrollable that robbed her of her will, but it wasn't until that moment, when he had embraced her gently as the rurouni, that she felt something other than just a physical response. She actually cared for the person he had become; the person who thanked her for controlling his blood lust. And now she would lose him through her own foolish choices._

_She had revived Shishio; Shishio would revive Battousai, and her rurouni would disappear forever.  
_.

Kaoru snapped out of her thoughts to the sound of soft footsteps approaching. Although they were light, they did not belong to a ten year old boy. Getting to her feet, she scanned the trees. The owner of the footsteps had not made his or her appearance; Kaoru had the feeling the person was hesitant to do so. She put her left hand on the sheath, just under the hilt. Her thumb caressed the guard in anticipation.

'I know you're there. Come out.'

The silence was deafening. Then, a hesitant voice—

'Kaoru? It's me.'

'Are you alone?'

'Yes.'

Misao had been nervous before, even scared, but she'd never had her blood run cold just from the sound of someone's voice. Whatever changes she had expected from Kaoru, fearing for her fucking life hadn't been one of them. Kaoru was dressed in somber, dark colors. She was thinner than before, almost skinny, but not from youth. Her body had been honed into wiry strength from living as a hitokiri. Her hair was longer, gusting lightly in the breeze, but these things were not what petrified Misao. When the air lifted Kaoru's bangs, her eyes were revealed. Gone were the soft, wide, indigo eyes that had held so much expression and emotion. Instead, her gaze was narrow, assessing and crystalline blue, colder than ice and harder than diamond.

'Misao. Come out.' She commanded.

The ex-ninja slipped out of her hiding spot. As reluctant as she was to face this Kaoru, she had the feeling making her wait was worse.

'I swear I'm alone.'

'And Battousai?'

'At the dojo.'

'My dojo?' Kaoru asked in surprise. Misao nodded.

That was unexpected. She couldn't imagine why the Battousai would choose to stay there, given how it must remind him of his captivity. Then again, maybe he wanted to be surrounded by reminders of her treachery. It would make running her to ground so much more enjoyable. In this life, the Kamiya dojo had no heir. It had been sold off almost before the revolution had come to a close; surprisingly, the property had remained in one piece over the years although it had ceased to function as a school. If it had been operational, Kaoru might have placed Yahiko there.

Kaoru's eyes suddenly sharpened. 'Yahiko. Where is he?'

Misao blanched. In her distraction over Kaoru, she'd almost forgotten. Would Kaoru be angry with her for letting Shishio kidnap Yahiko? Then a thought occurred to her. If it weren't for Kaoru, Shishio wouldn't have been there in the first place! Also, if they didn't hurry, Sano would arrive with Kenshin before they had a chance to save the brat. A bit of her customary courage returned and Misao glared right back at Kaoru.

'Shishio took him. He wants you to meet him at sunset. He said you'd know where.'

Kaoru dropped her eyes. The wind lifted Kaoru's hair from her neck, and billowed the sleeves of her gi, yet she stayed where she was. What was she waiting for, Misao wondered. The sun had almost reached the horizon. Was she afraid of Shishio? Maybe she needed a little push…

'I sent Sano to fetch Kenshin. He will be here soon.'

There was no response. Kaoru remained motionless.

No. Not motionless, Misao realized. Kaoru was shaking. Shaking so violently that it was barely perceptible, and when she finally looked up, Misao stumbled back from the look in Kaoru's eyes. Pure, unleashed fury shone through cerulescent eyes.

'Then we'd better hurry.'

_A/N: Up next: I earn my 'T' rating. Finally! _


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: For those of you who have already guessed my evil plot, validation! I finally give the game away…sort of. This chapter was quite a pain to write. Your comments make it all worthwhile though! Annnd….just to reiterate, Kenshin is not mine._

Chapter Six 

Misao was frantic. When she'd attempted to follow Kaoru past the point where Kaoru had dismissed her (secretly, of course), the once gentle Kasshin Ryu instructor had somehow slipped behind the ninja, snuck up on her without a sound and punched Misao in the jaw, rendering her temporarily unconscious. When she came to moments later, Kaoru was gone. Other than being amazed that Kaoru had actually_ hit_ her, Misao was once again panicking over what to do next. Misao had to find Kaoru, but she had to tell Kenshin what was happening also. If only there were some way to get in touch with someone without going to the dojo! Rubbing the skin where Kaoru's knuckles had connected, Misao had a sudden idea, but she realized her action would have to be somewhat extreme to capture his attention. Pulling out a kunai, she held her breath and deeply sliced the flesh across her forearm. Hissing at the burning pain, Misao watched the red blood immediately well up and practically pour to the ground. Her fingertips began tingling a bit from the wound. Although it hurt, there wouldn't be any lasting damage since she was in her immortal form. Misao just hoped it was enough. She didn't want to have to injure herself a second time. Her anxiety was unnecessary. Within moments, she felt the familiar pressure change as Aoshi forced reality into a path leading him directly to her from wherever he'd previously been, weapons already drawn to address potential attackers. Aoshi was the only _gaijin_ who could travel in that manner, which was why he had been put in charge of tracking down Kaoru and Shishio initially. Once the trigger on a location had been pulled, he could quickly travel there. She had taken a gamble that he was monitoring her safety by slicing her arm, although his instant appearance had been a surprise. From the amount of blood spilled, finding Misao alone was clearly not what he expected. His expression was as bland as always, but the way his eyes darted over her to the cut on her arm gave away his concern. He stalked over to her, reaching into the deep pockets of his coat for a strip of cloth to wrap the wound with.

'You injured yourself just to contact me?' Misao ignored the censure in his tone.

'Sano and I were in town and we saw Yahiko, so I followed him, but Shishio was there and I found Kaoru, but Sano might not bring him in time because she's gone to fight Shishio, and she's really scary and different and you're the only one who can bring Kenshin quickly!'

Aoshi managed to assimilate, translate and respond to her breathless speech with a nod.

'Try and follow her trail while I get Battousai.' Misao nodded an moved to leave when Aoshi caught her arm, pulling her close. 'I'll keep track of your power to trace your location, so don't cut yourself again.' Then he released her and disappeared.

Misao allowed herself a little smile, before she took off after Kaoru's trail.

o

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o

o

o

o

The dojo didn't feel the same in this life. The property had been unoccupied for so many years the dusty smell persevered no matter how hard he cleaned and scrubbed between the cracks of the floorboards. Without the plaques denoting the Kasshin Ryu students, the drill house walls seemed bare. No bokkens hung along the far wall. It wasn't just the drill house that felt empty either. No laundry hung on poles outside. The bathhouse was drained; even had the tub been filled, no wood remained to heat the non-existent water. His garden was overgrown with weeds, all the vegetables dead. The air itself seemed dried up, without the constant shouting of Yahiko, the giggles of Dr. Genzai's granddaughters, or...her. What little company he had was off searching still—Misao and Sano in town, Aoshi…well, who knew where.

Kenshin was frustrated he could not search also; the gaijin power continued to consume him and any spare strength he had would be needed for the confrontation with Kaoru. From his seat in the doorway, Kenshin let his head drop back against the shoji door. His eyes traced the frame opposite up to the ceiling, noting the screen track no longer showed the familiar wear and tear of use. Moving right, he followed the roof as it extended over the veranda, connecting with a support pole before ending sharply as his gaze met cloudless sky. The sun was going down. A wind chime used to hang there, and it would have glinted with the fading light; its single sharp ring soothing only because Kaoru had hung it for him.

Well, not him, per se. She had hung it for the rurouni. _I'm not asking Battousai to stay, I'm asking you, the rurouni…_

Kenshin's understanding of the situation upon his arrival in Tokyo and subsequent encounter with Kaoru had been severely lacking; but in his defense, she _had_ called him Battousai and bashed him over the head first thing. Why would she have done that if she didn't think Kenshin remembered who he was? But it soon became apparent that Kaoru did believe his _gaijin_ personality repressed by her spell, as farfetched as that was, and allowing her to continue thinking that way just seemed more expedient. He hadn't intended to deceive her for so long, but it had been so much easier to get close to her as the rurouni; she'd never have let _Battousai_ Kenshin stay under the same roof. He'd thought, if he could just convince her that rurouni and Battousai were one in the same, they could settle their differences and she would come back to him as _gaijin_.

The incident with Jineh had driven deep how truly afraid she was of the Battousai personality and how complicated his pretending not to remember made the relationship. Originally, Kenshin had planned on dealing with Jineh in private; that way, he could take out the killer without giving away his deception. He should have known that Sano wouldn't have been able to stop Kaoru from following him to the river, and then Jineh had snatched her from right under his nose. As it was, he had trouble controlling the color of his eyes during the fight, but Jineh still escalated the confrontation with his idiot hypnosis trick. Being _gaijin_, Kaoru was in no true danger, but his fury that someone would touch her or try to cause her harm, had nearly unhinged him. Kenshin had completely forgotten to maintain the rurouni façade and she must have seen his gaze turn gold. Kaoru's power hitting him with the force of a runaway steam engine brought him back to his senses however, and her obvious relief at believing his _gaijin_ personality repressed persuaded him to keep up the act. As long as Kaoru believed Battousai was trapped away in the rurouni, she felt safe, and as long as she felt safe—she stayed with him. He'd always assumed that as soon as their mortal lives expired, he could explain himself. Obviously, that hadn't worked out.

He should have just ignored her and chopped Jineh's head off. He'd wanted to, and he could have come clean about his act; she'd been tied up—as a captive audience, she would have been forced to listen to him--then maybe he wouldn't be dealing with the present disaster. In truth, even now, it grated a little that Jineh hadn't died by his hand. Jineh, and _every other_ fool he'd been forced to spare to keep up his deception. Including Shishio.

Shishio had always coveted Kenshin's position and power, and had come damn near close to breaking one of the _gaijin's_ top tenets—due to their immortality, _gaijin_ were not allowed public or controlling positions of power in the mortal world. They were allowed to participate in mortal life, (otherwise the boredom of a never ending existence would be torturous) and _gaijin_ could influence events to a certain extent, if they wished, but never assume control. That was why Kenshin had constantly declined government offices. Acceptance of such a role would eventually lead to control of the nation, because no mortal would be powerful enough to oust a _gaijin_ ruler, and such a rule would last indefinitely. _Gaijin_ would be seen as living gods—which they most definitely _were not_.

Shishio resented such restraints; he truly believed his survival of the fittest mantra. Gaijin were strong, mortals were weak—according to natural law, the former should rule the latter. If Kenshin hadn't of stepped in, Shishio would have taken over Japan, and wouldn't have stopped there. At the time the two hitokiris confronted each other in the mortal world, Kenshin had still been trapped in the mortal body; not possessing the _gaijin_ title of Battousai precluded killing the immortal part of Shishio, but slicing the mummy in half may have gone a long way in convincing the asshole to stop manipulating the rules. He should have known the bastard would try and get to Kaoru before the new moon. The situation with the _gaijin_ world was Kenshin's fault really, for not taking care of Shishio properly; without that madman's interference, Kaoru's fears about Kenshin regarding her spell could have been put to rest and he wouldn't be in this situation now.

'Feeling sorry for yourself, Battousai?'

Kenshin sighed. Had he been lamenting solitude earlier? Solitude was nice. He _wished_ for solitude. Being as how his wish was not granted, he acknowledged the interloper.

'If I wasn't before, I am now. What are you doing here, Saitoh?'

The wolf was leaning against the gate entrance, letting the shade of the setting sun disguise his expression. Kenshin saw a match flare in Saitoh's eyes as he lit a cigarette. He took a deep drag and expelled the smoke slowly, enjoying making Kenshin wait for his answer.

'A truly, stupid question. The title of Battousai has done nothing for your intellect.'

Kenshin found himself only mildly irritated. This antagonizing was nothing new; he had developed a high tolerance for Saitoh's acidic words. Even before Kenshin was trapped in the mortal world, the two of them had found each other's company…difficult. While it was true they had developed a sort of truce when Kenshin was pretending to be the rurouni, he had no illusions that it would continue indefinitely. He stood, slipping his sakabatou through the sash at his waist and moved to the edge of the veranda, confronting Saitoh with crossed arms.

'Come to congratulate me, then?' The only other _gaijin_ who had been serious competition for the title of Battousai was Saitoh. Saitoh hadn't wanted the title or the obligations it required, but that didn't mean it didn't grate on the wolf's nerves to know Kenshin had been chosen in his place; Kenshin didn't want to miss an opportunity to annoy the man back for a change. Saitoh exhaled another plume of smoke, his narrow eyes letting Kenshin know he'd hit a nerve, but the wolf recovered quickly.

'Congratulate you? Why? Have you finally found your little tanuki?' And then he smiled, knowing he'd regained the verbal upper hand as Kenshin's body went rigid with tension. Feeling the kill imminent, Saitoh left the shadows of the gate to stroll down the path towards Kenshin, who was further silenced by the wolf's appearance. Saitoh was dressed, _not_ in the cop uniform, but in a full western suit and his hair was long, like it had been during the revolution; most shocking of all was that _he wasn't carrying a sword_.

'Were is your sword?' Kenshin blurted incredulously.

'A less stupid question, but not one that I'm going to answer.'

Kenshin really, really wanted to punch Saitoh's sharp white teeth down his throat.

'Then answer the first one.'

Saitoh inhaled his cigarette as if he were inhaling patience instead of nicotine.

'Obviously, I'm here to tell you where your little girlfriend is.'

Kenshin stepped off the porch, fully aware his eyes had turned solid amber. If Saitoh was toying with him on _this_ matter, sword or not, Kenshin would kill the wolf. 'Why do you think you can accomplish what Aoshi couldn't?'

Saitoh fingered a faint scar on his cheek. Kenshin had missed it with the rest of the changes to his attire. The scar was almost as bizarre as the lack of sword though. Saitoh stood before Kenshin in his _gaijin_ body, but in the _gaijin_ form—they didn't scar. The cross shaped scar Kenshin had bore in his mortal life was not present in his current body. The scar was an impossibility. Almost as much as Saitoh's next words.

'Because I've already found her once.'

_o_

_o_

_o_

_o_

_o_

Sano found it difficult to breath. Not because he had run all the way from the Akabeko—his new immortal status staved off exhaustion of any kind--but because the first person he saw upon entering the dojo was Saitoh. The bastard who had beat him within an inch of his life and then disappeared off the face of the earth, refusing Sano the validation of a rematch. Since he was still itching for a piece of Saitoh himself, and from the look of Kenshin, the wolf had about three more seconds to live, Sano said the first thing that came to mind to break the tension.

'Where the fuck is your sword, asshole?'

Saitoh raised a brow, unperturbed by Sano's sudden appearance or language. As usual, the wolf appeared to read the thoughts Sano's comment had stemmed from and responded in kind.

'I don't require a sword to wipe the floor with you, rooster-head.'

'Quiet!' Kenshin's command raised the hairs on the back of Sano's neck and he quickly recalled the reason he'd run all the way from town. 'Kenshin, we found Yahiko. Misao is following him. We think he will lead us to Kaoru.' He blurted everything out in a rush under those blazing eyes. Kenshin's harsh glare turned back to Saitoh, but the wolf didn't seem concerned in the least to have his thunder stolen. Instead, he calmly lit another cigarette.

'Before you dash off to reclaim your lost tanuki, perhaps you should inquire as to how I earned this scar.'

'No more games, Saitoh. Tell me now.'

'I believe the reason Aoshi has been unable to track Kaoru and the reason my scar remains is the same. She has somehow managed to lock her power within the blade of her sword.'

Kenshin paled and his eyes drained to violet. 'She took my role in the revolution without access to her power?'

'I don't understand. What does that mean?' Sano was baffled by Kenshin's extreme reaction.

'Without her power, Kaoru is mortal. She can be killed.' Saitoh answered. 'Luckily, she is also still technically a gaijin, so she remains ten times faster and stronger than any opponent. A human is unlikely to slay her.'

Any relief Kenshin and Sano felt at that statement was removed as Aoshi abruptly appeared in the courtyard. He ignored the others and addressed Kenshin immediately.

'Kaoru is fighting Shishio.'

_o_

_o_

_o_

_o_

_o_

Shishio smoked his pipe, waiting for Kaoru to make her appearance. The kid was still glaring at him from the edge of the hut where Shishio had bound him, hand and foot. He didn't need the boy getting in the way when he killed Kaoru, but he was thinking now that he should have gagged him as well. It would be a pleasure to hack the brat up when this was over.

'You are gonna be sorry when Kaoru shows up! Do you even _know_ who she is? She took out fifteen men in one swing! One coward like you is a piece of cake!'

Shishio exhaled a puff of smoke irritably. 'I'm not some ignorant thug, little boy. It's you who doesn't know who she really is or what she's capable of.' Yahiko bristled, but goading one stupid child hardly made up for the boredom of waiting. Shishio needed something more painful to prod the boy with. 'Do you actually think this fight is about your pathetic existence? That you are the reason she is coming here? This battle has nothing to do with you. You are merely bait to be devoured by the shark. She may give the appearance of trying to protect you, but she wiped you off the face of the earth easily enough before.'

'What?'

'Let me guess, she offered to teach you swordsmanship? Haven't asked yourself why a sword master such as her would bother to save one scrawny, worthless whelp from the Yakuza? You can't actually believe that she _cares_ about your welfare?'

Yahiko felt Shishio's words hit a nerve. He_ had_ questioned Kaoru's reasons, but to hear them echoed by this madman was unnerving. What Shishio said might be true. It made sense; Yahiko had never met Kaoru before, so she should have no reason to single him out as special, and Shishio obviously knew more about Kaoru's past than Yahiko did, but…should he believe the words of a kidnapper over the actions of Kaoru? Hadn't she protected him by taking him out of that gang? Hadn't she watched over him, fed him, smiled at him, since then? If Kaoru didn't want him, Yahiko would hear it from her own mouth. And what was that crack about wiping him off the face of the earth? The guy was clearly nutty.

Before Yahiko could voice his defiance however, Shishio turned sharply away, listening intently at the forest. He smiled suddenly, baring sharp teeth. 'You're about to see, boy. She's a monster, and the sooner you get that through your head, the better you'll be.'

Moving out to the center of the clearing, Shishio drew his sword. Yahiko saw someone coming out of the shadows of the trees. Dressed in dark blue, gray and black, she was almost made of shadow herself.

'Kaoru!'

Her eyes found Yahiko, and he felt his smile falter. Her eyes looked different, cold and hard. She took in his bound hands. 'Are you hurt, Yahiko?' He shook his head, unable to find his voice, not realizing he still had the streak of dried blood on his face.

'Kaoru-chan. I've been waiting--.'

She was moving before Shishio could finish. Gaping, Yahiko marveled at the speed Kaoru utilized; it was like she wasn't even human. The air hummed over her blade as she ducked under Shishio's downward strike, pivoted on the ball of her foot and used the momentum to smash the blunt side of her blade into the base of his spine. The bone and muscle gave with a sickening crunch. The force of his own swing and her subsequent strike had him stumbling forward, barely managing to catch himself from falling to his knees. Yahiko couldn't see how it would be possible for any man to stay standing after a blow like that. Kaoru slid to a halt, eyeing Shishio as the man recovered. He spat a glob of bloody saliva on the ground and turned, facing her. Kaoru eased back into position, sliding her blade back into its sheath, preparing for another rush.

'You seem out of practice Shishio; what have you been doing for the past ten years?'

His eyes blazed red. With a roar from Shishio, they charged again and the ringing sound of their clashing blades sent a burst of birds from the surrounding trees. Yahiko could feel his eyes drying out, but he refused to blink—he might miss something. Shishio parried her cut and slashed at Kaoru's neck, clearly intending to slit her throat, but she dropped to the ground in time, his blade merely splicing the band holding her hair up. Kaoru kicked Shishio's legs out from under him before somersaulting backwards out of his sword's reach. She crouched for a moment, her loose hair twirling wildly in the wind.

'Not quite as quick the second time, are you, Kaoru?'

'Oh? And where is your famous Homura Dama? Couldn't find an alternative when you discovered my little spell prevented you from racking up the body count? How uncreative of you. Swine would have worked just as well, but perhaps that felt a bit too much like family, eh?'

Regaining her feet, she smirked and readied for another round. They flung themselves at each other again; this time, their blades connected and crunched in stalemate, each trying to overpower the other. A horribly piercing screech sounded from the friction of their swords and Yahiko wished he could cover his ears. Shishio, being taller and heavier had the advantage and took it, forcing her back with a shove, managing to nick her bicep in the process. In a grotesque move, he licked the blood from the steel.

'Speaking of family, Kaoru-chan, your little ninja bitch is looking mighty good these days. Perhaps after I finish you, I'll pay her a visit.'

Kaoru sped at him again, aggravated by his taunts and the wound he'd managed to inflict. Although she'd ensured Misao hadn't followed her, Kaoru knew Battousai's intrusion into this argument was imminent. Kaoru had been counting on the extra time it would take to track her down, but now that Shishio had drawn blood, the spell she'd put on him would activate—Aoshi would be aware of Shishio's location in mere seconds, and would probably arrive shortly after.

She had to finish this now. Leaping into the air, she moved into the final strike with all her strength. Only to be met with a version of the Gatotsu as Shishio slid under her and thrust his blade up into her ribs. She could feel instantly that he'd pierced a lung. The world seemed to slow down, drifting second by second, but it had nothing to do with her powers. She had no power at the moment to control time or anything else—she had locked it away as part of her spell to turn back time.

This wound would be fatal.

Yahiko's screams were far away. This wasn't exactly how she'd planned to go, but it would do. Shishio wore a look of triumph, even as she completed the arc of her sword's decent and severed his head from his shoulders, her blade cutting through his flesh like a hot knife through wax. As the blood spurted from his neck across her face, the world sped back up abruptly and she crashed to her side painfully on the ground beside the corpse, his sword still buried in her torso. Shishio's head rolled to the edge of the clearing, still grinning, unaware of its defeat. Despite the blood filling her lung, making it difficult and painful to breath, Kaoru pushed herself to her knees and yanked the blade from her ribs. The agony forced her to draw in a garbled gasp of air, which she just as quickly exhaled. Her mouth filled with blood and Kaoru futilely tried to staunch the flow pouring out of her wound. She still needed to free Yahiko.

'KAORU!'

He was looking at her in horror, tears gushing over his blotched cheeks. He was struggling spastically at the ropes binding him, tearing his skin with the effort. Yahiko was rapidly going out of focus and she blinked.

'Please! Please Help!'

Yahiko was looking at someone behind Kaoru and she swung her head over her shoulder, but the motion was too much; her head spun dizzily and she dropped her free hand to the ground for support, but the movement forced more air from her lungs in a spray of red and she slumped to the grass. From there, she could focus enough to see a pair of sandals just behind Shishio's severed head, up hakama clad legs, over a dark blue gi and finally to glowing, metallic, golden eyes framed by loose flame colored hair.

She closed her eyes, letting the darkness take her.

'Too late, Battousai.'


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Seven**

Seta moodily pushed open the gate to the dojo and ushered himself in; he managed to keep the two poles balanced, one on each shoulder, both laden with sake jars strung up with hemp, while shutting the gate behind him. Somewhere within, he could hear Yahiko's voice raised in anger, and the boy skidded out onto the porch, meeting Soujirou's eyes briefly before dashing around to the back of the compound out of Seta's sight.

'Oi! Get back here, brat!' Sano almost immediately followed Yahiko, in obvious pursuit. The sight of Sano drew his thoughts to the sake (because the gambler would almost certainly partake of Seta's labor) and back to the task at hand. Seta felt a touch resentful that he'd been reduced to errand boy for the ever-thirsty Hiko, but admitted that there was little else for him to do at the moment.

Soujirou had been many years on his own when Kenshin's death had pulled the immortals home. It hadn't come as a surprise to wake up in the _gaijin_ world, like it apparently had with Sano, because Soujirou had been fully informed by Shishio, back when he'd followed the former hitokiri. After leaving Shishio's service, he'd spent a number of years on his own; to be yanked back into the position of underling, even if it was Kenshin, whom Seta respected above all others, was a touch difficult, but he had acquiesced gracefully. When the _gaijin_ world had closed, Kenshin had sent Soujirou to Hiko, in the chance Kaoru would show up at the home of the previous lord of the _gaijin_ world. She hadn't, but Hiko had certainly made sure Seta never lacked for things to do. Retirement clearly hadn't softened the former Battousai, if the way he barked orders was any indication. Setting the sake down on the porch, Seta thought on the events that had brought him and Hiko from the outskirts of Kyoto to the dojo yesterday.

He had been at the river, fetching water when he'd felt a curious sensation, completely unlike anything he'd ever experienced. At first, crouching on the sandy bank, the world had gone dim, the brightness washed out of the colors around him, then his head buzzed and the sounds around him dulled, as if he'd plugged wax into his ears. Seta had felt a wave of vertigo hit him so hard that he'd been forced to sit down. Then the warmth of his blood had been stolen away as his _gaijin_ power felt like it was literally draining out of his body, leaving his limbs heavy under the weight of the air around him. It felt like death. In panic, he'd dropped the buckets and raced back to Hiko's. Running up the path to the humble hut, Seta moved as quickly as possible, but it was not with the ease to which he'd become accustomed. His footsteps sounded heavy and lumbering over the soft twittering of birds in the green fronds to his left and right, and his breathing was labored from the pace he set, drawing in the scent of damp earth, cedar and the hot smoke of a kiln in great, burning gasps.

Approaching the door, Seta pushed aside the curtain with a trembling hand and saw Hiko exactly how he'd left him twenty minutes ago, seated by the fire, cup of sake in hand. Unimpressed by Soujirou's entrance, Hiko didn't even turn around. 'Given your clumsy stumbling up my mountain, I would guess that you were mortal again, but that is no excuse to have left the buckets by the river.'

Seta stumbled to his knees in confusion, exhausted already from his exertions. 'Mortal? Hiko-sama! What is happening? How can I be mortal again?'

Calmly taking a sip of the rice wine, Hiko finally turned to look at Seta. 'The obvious answer is that Shishio is dead.'

'I thought control over my immortal status would shift to the one who killed Shishio though. If Kenshin finally did kill Shishio, why wouldn't I have remained _gaijin_?'

Hiko paused, sake cup halfway to his lips…

'_Wait, wait_, _wait_! You mean…you actually rendered Hiko _speechless_?' Misao interrupted in amazement. She had opened the dojo gate later that same evening in stunned surprise to see Hiko and Soujirou standing there. Hiko had immediately stridden off to find Kenshin, leaving Seta to recount to Misao and Aoshi the events on the mountain. They were seated in the practice hall, sparsely lit in the night. Misao had brought tea and Seta noted her bandaged arm.

'So Hiko used his powers to bring you and come to Tokyo.' Aoshi ignored Misao's outburst, wanting the rest of the story. Seta nodded.

'Yes. He said…it was time to put this lover's quarrel to rest.'

Seta saw a look pass between Misao and Aoshi. He knew what Hiko had been referring to, but only from Shishio's account. Back then, according to Shishio, Kaoru supported him as Battousai successor and wanted Kenshin dead. Considering how events had played out recently, Seta thought maybe Shishio's assumptions about Kaoru's intentions may have been a bit…off.

'This has escalated beyond a mere argument between Kaoru and Kenshin.' Aoshi supplied. Seta observed Aoshi's eyes drift briefly to Misao and her arm as she stretched out to refill their cups. 'Today has shown us the fragility of our existence. Your situation only reaffirms it.'

'Aoshi-san, I know Shishio was killed, but what happened after that?'

Kaoru was dying. Blood poured out of her wound, coating the grass and dirt beneath her as she yanked the blade from her chest. Yahiko saw the pink spray of her breath as she exhaled in agony. And he could do nothing, tied as he was. Then a man had been in the clearing, frozen by the sight of Kaoru and Yahiko had begged the stranger to help her. She had spoken, but it was too far away for Yahiko to make out. Whatever Kaoru's words, they had spurred the redhead into action; he had swooped down upon her sword and tried to break it over his knee, bizarrely enough. The steel wouldn't even bend however and that's when the man dashed over to Kaoru and lifted her, clutching her to him, his face contorted in emotion. Another man, tall, and stoic had stepped in and as abruptly as they appeared, all three had vanished. Yahiko blinked in befuddlement. People didn't—couldn't--just vanish! Suddenly, the girl from before, with the long black braid had been next to him, cutting his bonds. He hadn't moved, staring at the spot Kaoru had been. Shishio's headless body still lay crumpled on the ground, the grinning visage a distance away. It had been a little much for him to take in all at once. Yahiko had fainted.

Even now, the memory was a bit overwhelming. Yahiko skidded to a halt on the patio, catching sight of the young man, Soujirou reentering the dojo.

'Oi! Get back here, brat!' The heavy thudding of his pursuer's footsteps behind spurred Yahiko back into a run. He dashed around to the back of the dojo; if he could just escape the rooster-head for a moment, he could make it to Kaoru's room he was sure! They still weren't letting him see her, these strangers who seemed to know Kaoru—and him—so well. The red haired man, Kenshin, had yet to leave Kaoru's side, only allowing the doctor in at first. A young woman the guy Sano had found and brought to the dojo. Megumi, he thought her name was. Other than those two, and the tall, imposing character who had arrived with Seta late yesterday, constituted the only ones to see his savior. Yahiko was determined however; Kaoru was dying and he felt that if he could only just _see her;_ that somehow through his very presence--she would sense him and all of this would be a bad dream.

This was his worst nightmare. Kenshin hovered as Megumi lifted Kaoru's head and poured a foul smelling liquid down her throat. She hadn't moved since she'd fainted in that clearing, bleeding over Shishio's corpse. Even now, she looked like a corpse herself, pale, limp and battered. If only he'd been able to break the spell trapping her powers, this wound would be nothing more than a scratch. Instead she was slowly dying, and he could do nothing but watch. Most of the blood had been removed, but it was too dangerous to wash her fully for fear of reopening the newly stitched wound. Her hair was knotted by the clotted, dried blood and sweat from the battle. Just as disturbing to Kenshin was the state of her body. Kaoru had always been soft to his memory, her skin supple, smooth and curved. In this world, she was almost skeletal it seemed to him, her whipcord strength angular and her flesh was covered in scars from the many battles she'd fought in his place during the revolution. It was physically painful for him to see.

'Kaoru-dono…' Kenshin was hardly even aware of reverting to the rurouni speech in his fear. Megumi moved away, her face shuttered. When Sano had brought her, practically dragging her, to the dojo and she had seen Kaoru's state, it was clear she had little expectation that the girl would survive, but she'd stayed nonetheless. 'She's breathing on her own; that's good, but I fear with injuries like this…sometimes…they just never wake up. I'm sorry, Ken-san.'

Kenshin leaned over Kaoru, smoothing her bangs back from her face. 'Please, Kaoru! Please, just open your eyes!'

'_Open your eyes!' Kaoru laughed as she swatted Misao on the thigh playfully with the flat of her blade._

'_Honestly, Misao! How do you expect to hit me if you don't keep your eyes open?' Misao harrumphed and fell back into position. 'If you'd just let me fight with my kunai instead of a stupid sword—'_

_Misao zipped to the left, trying to find an opening in Kaoru's defenses, but was blocked easily. The young ninja had been brought into the_ gaijin_ world shortly after the Battle of Sekigahara when Kaoru had stumbled over her in a ruined castle, still smoking from a recent siege. Misao couldn't have been more than six, the lone survivor, and yet she'd still tried to fight Kaoru, defending her pitiful home. The next ten years flew by. Misao had gone from being Kaoru's ward, to Aoshi's shadow and back Kaoru just in time for her sixteenth birthday, when Kaoru had turned her immortal._

_That was almost two hundred years ago; Misao was young—for a _gaijin_ and even though she moved faster than any mortal could ever have, Kaoru was faster still. Unexpectedly, Kaoru charged the young woman. Misao rushed to parry, but was caught off guard when Kaoru dropped to her knees, and slid across the floor, her flipped blade hovering inches off the hardwood. Misao had to jump over Kaoru's sword or suffer broken ankles. Kaoru, of course, didn't let up there; from her knees, she rolled forward and turned, trying to catch Misao with her back still exposed. With her stride broken, Misao's speed was lost, so there would be no dodging the blow; she twisted and barely managed to block the strike with a teeth jarring clang, but the angle was too awkward for Misao to shove Kaoru's blade away. She tried to hop backwards, give herself some breathing room, but Kaoru was too quick, and in_ _two more moves had disarmed Misao. Scowling at the numbness in her fingers, Misao shook her stinging hand. Kaoru grinned. 'Gotcha.'_

'_No fair Kaoru, using a ninja move in swordplay.'_

'_And aren't you a ninja?' Misao stuck out her lip and Kaoru laughed. _

'_Oh! Kenshin! Have you come to spar with Kaoru too?' Misao finally noticed the redhead watching in silent fascination by the door. Kaoru's smile froze at the sound of his name. _

' _If she'll let me.'_

'_Kaoru? If you don't mind, I was going to see if Aoshi was around today.' _

_'Of course, Misao. I'll see you at dinner.' Misao skipped out, somewhat oblivious to the tension, or perhaps just eager to be away from it. Kaoru wished she could avoid this confrontation too. 'I should have guessed you'd be by today.' She flicked her blade in annoyed jerk, but did not return it to the sheath at her side. He glided into the room, closing the sliding door with a soft click._

'_You can't avoid me forever.'_

'_Being immortal, I could disagree.'_

'_Kaoru—'_

'_No! If we're going to argue, let's use our swords this time.'_

'_Fine.' Kenshin drew his sword. _

_They circled each other for several moments before Kaoru darted in, testing his defenses, Kenshin parried and pivoted to get behind her, but she ducked his strike and swept his legs out from under him. He did the same as Misao earlier and jumped over her blade, however he used the move to bring his blade down where her shoulder met her neck. Kaoru hissed as her right arm went numb but she quickly transferred the blade to her left hand and thrust upward. The whole fight had taken less than ten seconds. Kenshin twisted out of the way to avoid being run through, but still felt her blade slice into his side under his armpit. The pain was just enough to flare his temper, she saw, and draw out the real reason for his tracking her down. _

'_What did Shishio want?'_

'_The same thing as you.'_

_Kenshin growled and dropped his sword to tangle his hand in her ponytail, catching her off guard. Jerking her close, he made sure he had her full attention. _

'_I do not want the same thing as Shishio.' He said, just before he crushed her mouth beneath his._

_Her blood was already racing from the fight, it didn't take much to for her body to channel all her adrenaline into lust; his proximity alone was most likely turning her eyes crystalline, similar to the way Kenshin's had already melted into full gold. She hated that he affected her on such a physical level and worse that he could so easily tell and push the advantage, like he was now. Hands clutched at her, drawing her against the solid male chest. His mouth was hot and desperate against hers. Possessive. His breath bathing her cheek as his lips trailed to the shell of her ear. She was having trouble breathing. Between his mouth and his hands, her body was humming like a bird, eager for his touch. They were sinking to the tiled floor in a puddle of loosening robes. Hakama became untied and his knee pressed between her thighs. Her hands ran under his gi and kimono, nails digging into the skin of his back as their mouths fused again. Beyond her own hormones, another force was urging her on. She felt like she was being consumed as the fierce_ power _of the_ gaijin_ world tightened around the couple, pushing them regardless of their wills. Kenshin's hands splayed out over her cheeks, trapping her into meeting his hot eyes. _

' _No one else will have what is mine. I will be Battousai, Kaoru.'_

'Kaoru.'

Kaoru cracked her eyes groggily. The dream left her disoriented. Where was she? Kaoru could blearily see her room in the dojo and hear the rurouni's soft voice. Yahiko and Sano were arguing somewhere in the dojo, their raised voices faint. Had she overslept? Why did she feel so worn down?

'Kaoru-dono?'

'Gomen, Kenshin. Tell Yahiko to open the drill hall without me. Is it my turn to make breakfast?'

'Oro—What?'

'That's the sedatives talking. She will be out of it for quite a while. The fact that she's even awake and talking is a miracle to me frankly, Ken-san.'

Kaoru closed her eyes, feeling nauseous. She must be sick if Megumi was here. She felt Kenshin move closer and sighed a little as she felt his cool hand on her face.

Yahiko's voice was getting closer. 'Let me go! I want to see her!'

'Listen to me! Yahiko-chan—' Sano's gruff voice was oddly placating.

'Don't call me chan! You don't know me!'

Don't know him? Why would Yahiko say such a thing to Sano? Kaoru mentally frowned, trying to clear her fuzzy thoughts. She blinked, willing her eyes into focus and was rewarded with…two bright amber eyes.

Kaoru's memories rushed back in a typhoon of panic and her eyes flared wide. This was not her dojo. Kenshin was no longer her rurouni. She jerked, then cried out as hot, piercing pain lanced up her body, causing pinpoints of light to flash in her vision. Hands immediately found her shoulders and pushed her back down to the futon, holding her immobile. 'Please, Kaoru-dono! Don't move!'

Frankly, it was a needless request. The pain had nearly blacked her out. She could hardly bat an eyelid, let alone move a limb. As the wave of agony subsided, suddenly, she realized what she'd heard and it rendered her as motionless as the pain.

Battousai had said…Kaoru-_dono_?

I

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A/N: I tried to use a revolving perspective on this—to keep the action going. Your reactions will let me know how successful it was. Also, while I had intended this to be the last chapter, it turned into a pink bunny on me (going and going and going), especially with trying to knot my many, many, many loose ends. (Poor Seta! I almost forgot about him!) I finally got tired of looking at it. Hopefully, next chapter--grand finale!


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Sorry for the delay folks. Personal issues have prevented me from continuing the story. This was the chapter I was working on earlier this year and I decided to post it due to a reader's email. I still have all good intentions of finishing the story, but unfortunately, my creative flow is slow to trickle back. It may be a while between updates. Again, I apologize for the wait and for the rather abrupt chapter end. Hope to be back with everyone soon!

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Hearing the cry of pain that signaled Kaoru's return to consciousness, Yahiko twisted from Sano's grasp, darted the few remaining steps to her room and jerked the screen open.

Although it was a little embarrassing to have been outmaneuvered by a ten year old, Sano was slow to drag the boy back out. He wanted the opportunity to see what was going on.

Kenshin hovered over a pale, bandaged Kaoru, his hands on her shoulders to keep her from moving. The two were staring into each other's eyes with a frightening intensity; not necessarily an unfamiliar scene to Sano's eyes. In his previous life, Sano had teased Kenshin about the way the rurouni had looked at Kaoru, especially when Kenshin watched Kaoru practice with Yahiko in the drill house, saying that if Kenshin didn't let up, Kaoru's hair would catch on fire from the heat in the redhead's gaze. From the way they were gazing at each other now, you'd think the glances they gave each other before were between brother and sister for the comparative intensity.

In hindsight, it was a bit stupid of Sano not to realize immediately that Kaoru was _gaijin_, or that she and Kenshin had a past...

_Kenshin's head dropped so that his eyes were hidden behind his bangs and he spoke in a low voice. 'Sano, there is something you should know.'_

'The title that I hold, Battousai, gives me the right of rule over the _gaijin_ world, but it does not give me the ability to control it alone. Because of the balance or symmetry—however you want to define it—my position grants me governance over only half of the power supporting our existence. This void exists because Kaoru and I had a…misunderstanding.'

Sano's eyes were wide. 'Ah.' He replied calmly, then, 'Wait. What? How does Kaoru have anything to do with this?'

Kenshin frowned, then turned an exasperated look on Misao. She stuck her chin out defiantly. 'I was _going_ to explain, but all he cared about were the kitchens!' Turning back to Sano, Kenshin continued. 'Kaoru commands the other half of the _gaijin_ world.'

'And without her here, our world eats away at itself.' Misao interjected, gesturing needlessly at the black void hovering behind them. Sano let this information sink in for a few seconds. Pulling a toothpick out of his pocket, that hadn't been there earlier, and sticking it between his teeth thoughtfully, he regarded the three before him. Being immortal, they seemed to think themselves play acting when in the mortal world but Sano saw little real differences in their personalities. He didn't need to be around for a hundred years to understand their characters. Aoshi remained gloomy, Misao bouncy, Shishio an asshole, and Kenshin? Still couldn't seem to keep it together around Kaoru. Jo-chan was never one to avoid conflict, and according to the giant black swirly hole? This was one hell of an argument.

'So. Kenshin. What exactly is this…_misunderstanding_ with Kaoru about?' Although Sano's posture remained casual, there was a certain edge to his tone that had the others subtly leaning away. Kaoru may be endangering his never-ending food supply, but she was still his Jo-chan, and heaven help the person who hurt her—even if it was someone as powerful as Battousai. Kenshin's eyes narrowed, but a faint flush rose along the bridge of his nose.

'_No one else will have what is mine. I will be Battousai, Kaoru.' For moments, she only stared at him, breathing heavily. He hadn't meant to say it that way, so possessively, but knowing that Shishio had been spending so much time with her recently, behind closed doors…just thinking of it now made him furious all over again. _

_The day Hiko had brought Kenshin into the gaijin world and introduced him to Kaoru, he had been lost—love struck him harder than the force of a thousand thunderbolts. Unfortunately, Kaoru knew exactly why Hiko had turned him immortal-- Kenshin had been somewhat of a last resort; of the existing gaijin, Shishio was easily corruptible and Saitoh…well, oil and water described Kaoru and Saitoh perfectly. Hiko needed a successor to take his place as the next gaijin Battousai. While Kaoru wasn't initially hostile to Kenshin, being under pressure herself, she wasn't overly pleased at Hiko's high-handed interference, nor at his flippant, 'Third time's a charm!' _

_Hiko's past, because he was the oldest gaijin, was a mystery. How he came to be immortal, dubbed Battousai, or the reason he was the only _gaijin_ for so long was a story they'd perhaps never hear. What Kenshin did know was that Hiko, through sheer strength_ _(and a perverse nature), had tried to maintain the _gaijin_ world alone, and mostly succeeded, but because this was in direct conflict with the way the immortal universe operated and a balance was necessary, he was forced to bestow half the power on another. That person ended up being Kaoru, for she was the first Hiko had seen fit to turn immortal, even before Shishio and Saitoh, and was therefore the more capable of controlling half the _gaijin_ world. The complication came when the castle began merging Hiko and Kaoru's rooms together--while they were sleeping. _

_According to Saitoh, Hiko's scream had been just as loud as Kaoru's upon the discovery the next morning and the trauma may have had something to do with Hiko's current alcohol consumption. It became clear that the balance was not just about splitting the _gaijin_ world between two people, but about a union between two in which power was shared. Hiko was left little option but to pass his title off to someone else, and force Kaoru into a bond, regardless of her wishes, as soon as possible._

_Perhaps if Kenshin had been given more time, he could have overcome Kaoru's uncertainties, but ironically, despite the fact he was immortal, time was something he didn't have; and then, of course, there was Shishio._

_Shishio was after power and Kaoru was his key. When the final decision came down, it wouldn't matter who Hiko wanted; only Kaoru's choice mattered and Shishio meant to leave her with no option but to choose him. So he started hinting that Kenshin was only pretending affection for her, that what the redhead really wanted was power, and much to Kenshin's frustration—she listened. Not because she trusted Shishio, or even liked him necessarily, Kenshin eventually realized, but because the two had an odd rapport from having been turned _gaijin_ at the same time. Better the devil you knew and all. _

_Kenshin had no attachment to the title of Battousai, but he would let no one else have it—not when it meant that person would be bound on such an intimate level with Kaoru. Shishio had been whispering his lies in her ears continuously though; Kaoru was practically convinced Kenshin only wanted power. And outbursts like this didn't help him; he knew she wouldn't take it well. This was confirmed when she drew back a hand and slapped him hard enough across the face to loosen a molar. With his ears still ringing, she had vanished to the mortal world in a fury, where she had apparently shortly afterwards stumbled across a child named Shinta…_

'Excuse me for being confused, but hasn't that particular misunderstanding been cleared up? I didn't dream you two being all lovey-dovey and getting married did I?' Sano interrupted in an incredulous tone.

Kenshin explained his rurouni deception briefly.

'Oh man. This is so fucked up.' Sano rubbed a despairing hand across his eyes.


End file.
